Treating poison ivy

One really common cause of contact dermatitis is poison ivy, a plant that grows in woody areas. Poison oak and poison sumac are other plants that can give you a rash, too. They all have an oil in them called urushiol, to which most people are allergic. You can get the rash from:

Touching the weed.

Touching something that rubbed up against the plant (like petting your dog after he brushed up against it).

Even from being near it, because the oil can get in the air.

Poison ivy

As soon as you think you might have a rash from one of these plants, you should:

Rinse the skin right away with lukewarm water.

Wash your clothes and anything else you might have touched.

Poison oak

The rash will go away in a few weeks. Until then, here's what you can do:

Take a cool shower.

Take an oatmeal bath. Your parents can buy a special product at the store that has oatmeal in it for the bath.

Spread on a special anti-itch cream called hydrocortisone.

Swab on calamine lotion.

Poison sumac

If nothing seems to help, have your mom or dad take you to a skin doctor (dermatologist).